Golden Delicious

by Marinka on September 14, 2010

You may have noticed that Papa, aka Awesome Dude, sometimes leaves slightly right of Genghis Khan comments on my blog. Basically calling for a reverse Jihad against Muslims and suspecting everyone of anti-Semitism.

It’s caused a real dilemma for me, because if it were anyone but my papa, I’d delete the shit out of those comments and then get on the cross about the trolls who are ruining my blog for everyone with their invective.

But Awesome Dude is my papa.
And he knows where I live.

So one day, after a particularly impressive display, I responded to Papa in the comments and let everyone know that I do not share his views and that this Golden Delicious does indeed fall far from the tree.

Papa retaliated.
Because whenever I call him now, he says, “Hello, Golden Delicious!” It’s almost as though he’s mocking me.

Papa left an extreme comment on my last post, and I called him again and asked him again to not leave comments on my blog. And he said something to the effect that he didn’t think that I was serious, but I heard some King Learish how sharper than a serpent’s tooth overtones.
“I’m serious,” I told him. “Your comments are offensive.”
He said he understood. He said he’d just affix a yellow Star of David to his shirt and sit quietly by his computer.

So, I turn it to you.

Should I block papa?
Should I delete his comments?
Should I afford him the freedom of speech that he fled the Soviet Union for?

I pre-consulted with reader and wise commenter Peajaye and his solution was to make a No Jews Are Allowed To Comment comment policy. Which seems very Final Solution to me, but I’m not an expert.

Sigh. You’ve made me all wistful for my dad who would probably be leaving right-wing, pro Rush Limbaugh comments all over my blog and freaking me the hell out. In fact he used to tell people, proudly, that he was “just right of Attila the Hun”.

So as someone whose papa has gone on to that great box of soot in the ground, I’d let Awesome Dude have his space. And perhaps encourage him to start his own blog. Then, he’s sure to get enough commenters to keep him way too busy to read your blog anymore.

I think it’s good to let blog comments be organic…they are what they are, let them come what they be. Now, if another commenter gets into a row with your dad online, I would just add a comment that says, “pssst…you’re arguing with my dad and he’s crazy so you can’t win.” I often have to do that with my facebook comments since I have some friends with brain damage and they often get into comment wars with my non-brain-damaged friends. Really. And I have to send a note to my smart friend to say, “You’re arguing with someone who’s brain damaged. Probably better to let it go.”

When did everyone get so uptight about being offended? Don’t take it so personally, Marinka. Let your dad have his say and those offended can deal with their “offendedness”. I love your blog though I don’t share your political views. World peace isn’t riding on your shoulders so don’t let other’s opinions rattle you. Easier said than done, I know. Just hoped to encourage you……..

Why shouldn’t he comment? Who are you, Putin? KGB? Restricting free flow of information? I say this blog is completely one-sided and you should let him write an editorial expressing the other side of the story at least once a week. It would also be funny if he included baby photos of you.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good (wo)men to do nothing”

Let him stay, but once you become aware that he’s said something you don’t agree with, treat him EXACTLY the same as you’d treat me if I said something offensive…

For the record, I’d expect you to perhaps delete my comment and perhaps post another comment saying you’d deleted a comment from Lancs because the content was likely to cause offence.

Just because he’s daddy, he should be allowed to “get away with it” – and when he comes complaining that you’d no right to delete, maybe tell him you had a duty to delete or else risk getting your blog removed.

All I know is “get on the cross about trolls who ruin my blog” is the funniest thing I have wad in a long long time, blog-wise. I also realized this is why I read your blog and not many others anymore, because you don’t do that. I’m so tired of bloggers going after “annonymorons”.

In other words, ignore dad. Let him stay. Mentioning that he is dad is enough and makes things even funnier.

You’re now starting a tradition of being able to embarrass children on the internet. Keep his comments and then when you start writing inappropriateness all over Ladrinka’s future blog, you’ll have a history of tolerance within the family to back you… it can start along the lines of, “back in my day, my dad said…”

I have to side in with the majority. Having lost my dad in 2002, I say cherish the moments. You now have memories to hold to in the future. I enjoy his remarks, and God knows how parents are trained to push our buttons. Push away, Awesome Dude!!!

Dear fellow bloggers, I thank you for all your thoughts.
You brought about a big case of severe, acute and may be terminal humility.
If somebody was offended by the way I express my self, please, accept my apologies.
Looking back I just realized that parenting never stops and it never has to, and the children most often do not want to be parented.
It is not for me to decide whether I am a good parent or not.
I am definitely not happy with our current political/social climate and the state of affairs and sometimes it transmits into the words.
I thank you one more time for your kindness.

Of course parenting never ends. That’s why I keep asking you for money all the time. Also, I’m going to an Obama phone-a-thon next Wednesday, to get call people upstate to get them to vote Democratic in the mid-term elections. Why don’t you join me? It’ll be a real bonding moment for us!

Marinka, I know it’s a year after this post, but dang-diddle, I’d give anything to have a father who wanted to be involved in my life in any way, even if it did drive me nuts. I have been going through the archives of your blog and it’s taking me FORever because I have to read all the comments to see what Awesome Dude has to say!

Listen, if my dad were alive, my blog would be rife with comments about your people and I would constantly be ‘splaining and apologizing. (my mother called him “Archie Bunker”. Heavy sigh.) In the vein of I-miss-my-daddy-even-though-he-was-a-big-fat-racist, I say let Awesome Dude stay. And speak.

I love Awesome Dude for his honesty, humor and intelligence, (wait, those are the same reasons I enjoy your blog!!!!!) I don’t always agree with what he says, but I always appreciate that he has said it. I am truly sick of everyone being so PC that we don’t want to say the Emperor is not wearing any clothes.

Let Awesome Dude stay! I’m along the ‘he needs his own blog with Marinka baby pictures’ line. People get TOO offended TOO eaisly these days. Papa is FUNNY. If you won’t let him stay – he can come to my blog…

Marinka, you make it sound as if I’m anti-Papa, and I am definitely pro-Popa. Just to clarify to your readers: you had been asking me for suggestions on how to banish your wise and noble father from your blog, and I merely suggested that if you wanted to follow in tradition of Jew-haters like Hitler or Stalin or Gibson (Mel), you could possibly post a no-Jew comment policy.

Something about 1st Amendment rights blah blah blah. But it is your Blog, so you are allowed to be Dictator-in-Chief. Let him comment – it shows parental support – no matter which way his policy flag flies. My parents ‘might’ be reading what I write, but I’ll never hear about it – whether approve or disapprove (they are actually pro-union/pro-big gov’ies on the left coast – they claim that I was switched at birth with another twin set that was delivered at the hospital same day as my sister and I). My folks prefer to creep in peace. So – count youself as lucky!

I’m kinda terrified about the ‘parenting never ending’ thing that he just said, but otherwise, I’ve liked reading his comments. I think it is kinda cool that you have a relationship with him like you do. He reads, he comments, he has views. And, since you are the daughter, you can roll your eyes as often as you like and we will all get it.

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